Tool for applying wire clamps



Aug. 31,1926. 1,598,345 F. w. GUNN TOOL FOR APPLY'ING WIRE CLAMPS FiledApril 15, 1925 INVENTOR v III V 611 707 ATTORNEYS Patented Aug. 31,1926.

uni-rte nnnn w. Genie, e1 BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

TOOL FOR A'EPLYING': WIRE CLAMPS.

Application filed April 15, 1925. Serial No. 23,217.

M y invention relates to improvements in tools for a) )1 in wire clalnosto hose con plings or like ObJGCtS, and it consists inthe" combinations,constructions and arrangements herein described and claimed.

An object of the invention is the provision of a simple; reliable andelli'cient tool which can be convenientlymanipulated to firmly secure awire clamp in place on a hose or liheobject;

A further object of the invention is the provision of a tool ofthe'character described which atfordsfacilities fortwisting the ends ofthe tightened wire clamp to prevent loosening of the clamp and forcausing'the surplus material atthe ends ofthe clamp to be broken offwhen the clamp is secured .in place.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent fromthefollowing description,considered 1n 'con unct1onw1th the accompanyingdrawings in which z Figure 1 is a plan view of the improved toolinposition for use in securing "a wire clamp on a hose.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal vertical section through the toolyshowingalso in section the hose to which the clamp is being applied,

and

Figure 3 is a transverse sectionthrough the tool, the view being takensubstantially along the line 33 of Figure 1.

The improved. tool comprises-an elongated body 1 made of wood, metal, orany other "suitable material. The body has an end portion thereofenlarged vertically as'indicated at 2 to provide a: clamping head. Thisclamping head preferably is circular in cross-sectional contourandtapers toward its" outer end. The clampinghead 2 is hollowed out toprovide a twisting. chamber 3 which is open at its outer end at thefront end of the head and tapers rearwardly to a reduced opening t-atthe rearward end of the head.

2. The bottom wall ofthe opening' t issub-' stantially fiushwith theupper face 1f" of the.

1 adjacent to thehead 2 is substantially flat for a short distance andthen is formed with a downwardly inclined shallow groove 7 which ismerged at its rearward end into an aperture 8 which extendslongitudinally of the body 1 nearly to the rearward or outer end of thelatta'. The ody 1 is preferably enlarged laterally from the rearward endof the groove 7 to the rearward end of the body, this laterally enlargedrearward end the handle and opens through the upper :face of therearward'end portionof the handle.

A wire tightening rod 10 has the forward 1 end portion thereof flattenedas indicated at 11, this flattened end portion being bent downwardly atits extremity substantially at right angles to'the longitudinal axis ofthe rod 10 to provide a supporting end portion 12 which is adapted. tobear on the substantially fiat upper face of the forward end portion ofthe body and to then support the flattened portion 11 of the wiretightening rod'in spaced relation to the body 1. The wiretightening rod10 is of sufficient length to extend rearwardly through the slot 9beyondthe rearward end of the handle portion of the body. The rearwardend portion of the rod 10 is provided with screw threads 13. Aconcavo-convex bearing washer 14 is loose on the threaded. end. portionof the rod and is adapted to fit closely against the rearward end of thebody 1. A tightening washer l lwhich is in contact with the rearward endof. the handle portion of the body at the outer end of the slot 9 and itwill be understood that further turning of the nut 15 on thethreadedportion of the rod 10 will cause axial movement of the rod 10 inthe'direction opposite the clamping head 2.

The flattened forward end portion 11 of the wire tightening rod isprovided directly at the rear of the supporting end portion 12 with awire engaging vertical aperture 16.

- the wire clamp on the hose as desired.

From the foregoing description of the various parts of the device, theoperation thereof may be readily understood. A hose is shown at 17 inthe drawings. A wire clamp 18 may be secured'on the hose 'or on the likeobject for any desirable purpose, as for example to bind the hose to apipe fitting, not shown. In applying the clamp, the latter is wrappedabout the hose and the A end portions 19 of the wire clamp-are passedthrough the bend portions 20 of the clamp and are extended throughthe-twisting chamber 3 to protrude from the latter through the reducedopening l. The clamping head 2 may be formed with anaperture 21 at thebottom wall thereof for the insertion of :a tool or the finger so thatthe ends of the wire clamp can be conveniently extended through thetwisted chamber 3 and through the opening 4. The tightening rod is swungfrom the position shown to substantially vertical position so that theend portions 19 f the clamp can be extended conveniently through theaperture 16. The rod then is returned to the position shown in Fig. l

and the extremities of the wire clamp .may extend into the aperture 8.The clamping head 2 at this time bears against the bend portions of thehose clamp.

The nut 15 now is manipulated to cause axial movement of the rod 10 onthe body of the tool away from the clamping head 2 so that a pull willbe exerted on the end portions of the wire clamp sufficient to tightenThe body 1 and the wire tightening rod 10 then are turned as a unit tocause twisting of the end portions of the wireclamp in the chamber 23.The area of the opening 4 at the rearward end of the chamber 3 issufficient to permit the end portions 19 of the wire clamp to beextended therethrough in side by side relation but is notsnfiicient topermit the wire end portions to be twisted in the opening 4:, wherebythe twisting of the end portions of the clamp will take ,place in thetwisting chamber only. When this twisting of the end portions of thewire clamp has been accomplished, it will be manifest that the wireclamp will. not become loose on the hose but will be firmly secured inplace thereon. The twisting together of the end portions of the wireclamp within the chamber 3 against the pin 5 will cause such end.portions to be creased and broken at their points of contact with thepin .5. The tool then can be instantly displaced from engagement withthe-clamp since the twisted portions of the clamp can be withdrawn formthe chamber 3 through the opening at the outer end of the clamping tool.If desired, these twisted together portions can be bent downward closeto the hose.

From the foregoing description, it will be understood that the tool isconveniently and easily operable to firmly secure a wire clamp in placeon the object to which it is to be =tions of the wire clamp to beextended therethrough, said body having a substantially flat upper faceat the rearward end of said clamping head, a wiretightening rod having:the forward end portion thereof flattened and bent downwardly at itsextremity to provide a supporting end portion adapted to slide on the.upper face of said body, said -.flattened portion of the rod having avertical aperture directly .at the rear of said depending supportingportion to accommodate the end portions of the wire clamp, andadjustable means arranged between said rod and the rearward end portionof said body for causing axial movement of said rod on said body in thedirection opposite to said head.

2. A tool of the character described comprising an elongated body havinga clamping head at one end thereof, said clamping head having a chambertherein open at the forward end of the clamping head and vhaving areduced opening at its rearward end, the bottom wall of said reducedopening be ing substantially flush with the .upper face of the adjacentportion of said body,.and-said body having a longitudinally extendingaperture .rearwardly of said clamping head, a \R'il-i! tightening rodhaving the forward end portion thereof bent downwardly 'and adapted atits extremity to slide on the body between :said clam-ping .head andsaid aperture in the body. said wire tightening rod having averticalaperture formed therein at the rear of said downwardly turnedforward end portion, whereby the ends of a wire clam-p may be projectedthrough the aperture in said rod into the aperture in said body, a wirecreasing pin extending transversely across the upper rearward part ofsaid chamber adjacent to said reduced opening.

FRED W. GUNN.

